Process of making tie-rod ends



March 20,1928. 1,663,254

I G. HQ HUFFERD PROCESS' 0F MAKING TIE ROD ENDS Filed Feb. 26V. 1926 K' Patented Mar. 2o, 1928.

Leazsi GEORGE H. HUFFERD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN; ASSIGNOR TO THOMPSON PRODUCTS INC., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PROCESS OF MAKING TIE-ROI) ENDS.

Application led February 26, 1926. Serial No. 90,841.

The invention relates to a process for producing a connecting rod formed out of a light, seamless, metal tube, With an integral ball-joint housing, such as is disclosed and claimed in an application filed by mejointly with Frederick (l. Crawford on February 26, 1926, Serial No. 90,899. While I contemplate the employment of the process especially for the formation of the ends of tie rods and drag links of automobiles, the purpose to which the rod is to bc put isy not material.

It is the object of this invention to produce such an article by novel and effective procedure and of which the cost of production Will be comparatively small.

In the annexed drawings illustrating the steps of the' process:

Figure l is a view of a seamless metal `tube, partly in section from which the connecting rod is made according to my process;

Fig. 2 illustrates the tube after the end has been expanded and upset to proper diameter;

Fig.i.3 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 4 illustrates theresult of the next step in the process, which consists in forming or spinning the expanded end shown in Fig. 2 into substantially spherical form;

Fig. 5is an end View of Fig. 4;

l Fig. 6 illustrates the result of the succeeding operation, which consists in shaping the substantially spherical end illustrated in Fig. 4 into the form o f a cylinder Whose axis is at right angles to the axis of the tube;

Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 6.

Fig. l9 is a View of the connecting rod end as completed according to my process and assembled with a ball joint.

Referring to the'drawings in detail in whichthc same reference character is used throughout to indicate the same part, the

tube 1, the end of which is enlarged or eX- panded, as illustrated at 2, the extent of the enlargement depending upon the size of the ball-joint housing or similar part which it is desired to-form upon the end of the tube. Inthe process of enlargementit is obvious that the same metal which forms the wall of the tube must also constitute the wall of the enlargement, from which it follows that, if the end of the tube is subjected to the process process is begun with a light, seamless metal of expansion alone, the resulting wall will be much thinner than the untreated wall of the tubo. If it vis desired to retain, in the enlargement, the original thickness of the tube wall, it is Anecessary to'subject the .treated part of the tube to the process of upsetting or thickening,v which is a Wellknown ope-ration, and which may take place simultaneously Withfthe operation of expanf ysion 1n a manner known lto the art.

The expanding operation is preferably so effected as to leave a segmental spherical surface 3 next to the body of the tube l, as indicated m Fig. 2. After the step of expansion the end ouf the expanded portion is formed by spinning or otherwise, into a substantial sphere 4, as illustrated in Fig. 4.V This spherical end 4 is then die-formed, preferably by a lhot-forging method, into a cylinder V5 Whose axis is at right angles to the axis of the tube. the cylinder is completely removed, as in- Thereafter one end- 6 ot dicated at 7 (Fig. 9) and a concentric part of the opposite end is removed, so as to leave a ball-seat retaining and bearing surface 8, thus forming a ball-joint housing. The

housing so made is adapted to receive and retain a ball joint described in a co-pending application and Which is not my sole invention. This ball joint is fully illustrated in Fig. 9 and requires -no further description,

except the explanation that it comprises a ball seat having a bore eccentric to its axis, adapted to rotate in the housing for purposes of adjustment/of the ball stud withy relation to the rod and to be xed in any adjusted position.

While I have illustrated the bearing surface 8 as being formed of two surfaces at substantially right anglcsto each other, the shape thereof is dependent merely upon the shape of the dies employed in forging the spl-ie'rical end 4 into thc cylinder. By selecting dies of other shapes this bearing surface might be the segment of a sphere or cone.

Inthe description above it is indicated that the end ofl thetube to be formed for receiving a ball joint may be expanded Without upsetting, or expanded and'also upset, depending upon the'characteristics of the resulting article desired; but'as it is ordinarily desirable to have the greatest strength of such a part with the least Weight, it will be found best'to upset the expanded orenlargedportion of the tube so that the hous ingI will' have a strength equal to that of the body of the tube.

the end of a metal tubey the expression is to be understood yas also covering the step of upsetting the metal Whenever such is deemed to be desirable. n

1t is apparent that Aby the method describedy the article disclosed may be effectively constructed and at a low cost. The method is capable of variation Iin detail and ibis therefore to be understood that it is not limited to the details described but includes -all processes comprehended Within the terms of the appended claims.

VV'hat I calim is v 1. The process of making .a one-piece, seamless, tubular connecting rod, consisting in expanding the open end' of a seamless In the following claims which specify `the step of expanding' metal tube, forming it rinto substantially spherical lform, shaping the substantially spherical end intoy cylindrical form, and finally removing the end walls of the cylinder. f

2. The process of making a one-piece, seamless, tubular` connecting rod, consisting in expanding the open end of 'a seamless metal tube, forn'iing it l into substantially spherical forni, shaping the substantially spherical end into cylindrical form, and finally completely removing one end wall of the cylinder and an inner concentric part of the other end wall soas to leave a. ball-*seat retaining shoulder.

' Signed by me this 22nd'd'ay of January, 1926.

eno.v H. HUFFERD.v 

